STAND. COM. REP. NO. 386

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1203

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Human Services and Public Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 1203 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SOCIAL SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to require the Department of Human Services (DHS) to develop and implement a cash and counseling pilot program, and to make an appropriation therefor.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from DHS, Child and Family Service, ILWU Local 142, Hawaii Aging Advocates Coalition, and Kokua Council.

     Your Committee finds that Cash and Counseling is a national program sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation; and the Administration on Aging.  Under the program, recipients of Medicaid personal care services or home- and community-based services receive a flexible monthly allowance and decide who to hire and what services they want to receive.

     The program's innovative approach enables participants to direct and manage their personal assistance services according to their own specific needs.  Participants receive counseling and financial advice to help them manage their allowance and responsibilities.  Participants can choose a family member or friend, in lieu of an agency worker, to provide the services.  This enables family caregivers to receive a level of financial recognition and support for their efforts and offsets some of the financial sacrifices that family caregivers make to care for loved ones.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services and Public Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1203 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services and Public Housing,

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair